title: Infarcts with a cardiac source of embolism in the NINCDS Stroke Data Bank: historical features.
abstract: To gain insight into the historical features relevant to the diagnosis of cardiac embolic strokes, we studied the 1,290 patients with cerebral infarcts in the NINCDS Stroke Data Bank. Based solely on the presence of cardiac sources of embolism, we divided the patients into groups of high (n = 250), medium (n = 166), and low (n = 874) risk of a cardiogenic mechanism for their stroke. There was a highly significant graded relationship between increasing risk of a cardiac source and a history, or presence of, systemic embolism, abrupt onset, and diminished level of consciousness at onset. These clinical features may be useful for assessing the likelihood of a cardiac embolic mechanism in patients with cerebral infarcts.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Maryland, Baltimore.
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Kittner
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Sharkness
authors.forename: T R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Price
authors.forename: G D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Plotnick
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Dambrosia
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Wolf
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Mohr
authors.forename: D B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Hier
authors.forename: C S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Kase
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tuhrim
mesh_terms: D002544:Cerebral Infarction / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D002561:Cerebrovascular Disorders / Q000209:etiology; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D004617:Embolism / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D007256:Information Systems; D009316:National Institutes of Health (U.S.); D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D014481:United States